Step Creation Gallery

Stephane Vartanian has always been passionate about art and design. Born in 1970 in Paris, France, in an Armenian family, Vartanian spent his childhood with his grandmother who was painting reproductions, and his parents as art patrons paved the way to his passion for art collection and artist support. 

He bought his first painting with his pocket money at only seventeen, of French-Armenian artist Jean Kazandjian.

Vartanian would buy paintings anytime and anywhere he could, from artists, galleries or at auctions, not as an investor but as serial art lover. As they say in French, he was having “coup de coeur” for paintings and couldn’t resist buying them.

In 2009, Vartanian met with street artist CEET in Hong Kong, bought him a few paintings and started a long friendship with the artist. This marked a twist for him, introducing him to the world of contemporary and street artists such as Cyril Kongo, Colorz, JonOne, Joris Ghilini, Hom Nguyen. 

In 2019, he took a step further by creating  Step Creation Gallery, in Hong Kong, representing artists and exhibiting artworks at art fairs, such as Affordable Art Fair, Art Central, Fine Art Asia.

Since November 2022 and a first exhibition by Cyril Kongo organised in Tokyo, Vartanian has developed his presence in Asia by organising more solo exhibitions in Hong Kong and other Asian cities, and by participating in art fairs outside Hong Kong.

In May 2023, he organised an exhibition of French-Vietnamese artist Hom Nguyen at Soho House Hong Kong, where all paintings and drawings were sold in the blink of an eye. This marked a significant moment and a turning point for Vartanian in the development of Step Creation Gallery in Asia, with exhibitions and art fairs participation in Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, and Seoul.

With a diverse vision encompassing urban art, photography, sculpture, and new media, the gallery supports both established and emerging artists, offering a broad perspective on contemporary creation.